Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Concerned Citizens Group Vocal On Tax Rate, Budget Process

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A group of concerned citizens has been gaining momentum and voicing their disapproval of the process used by city and county elected officials to approve the 2024-25 budget, including the jump in property tax bills brought on by the recently completed revaluation.

During the public comment period at recent council and commissioners’ meetings, representatives of the citizens’ group have called for both bodies to allow taxpayers to pay the amount of their 2023 taxes without penalty for failure to pay the 2024 amount.

Concerned Citizens of Vance County had about 300 people at their Sept. 17 meeting; the Oct. 17 meeting attracted about 75 people, according to organizers.

Several individuals associated with the group have appeared before the Henderson City Council and the Vance County Board of Commissioners. Most recently, Caroline Burnette and Melissa Lemmond, both Henderson residents, were critical of the way that the city and county turned their backs on revenue-neutral budgets in favor of a tax rate increase. County commissioners approved a 10-cent increase; the City Council voted for a 20-cent increase. Burnette is a N.C. District Court judge; Lemmond practices law in Henderson.

In comments to the City Council on Oct. 14, Lemmond said, “I’m back here again about the tax issue because I think this city council has done a real disservice to the citizens of Henderson…I don’t think you thought about how it was going to affect people,” she said.

In comments to the county commissioners on Oct. 7, Burnette asserted that commissioners violated the Public Meetings Law by not having written minutes of June budget work sessions.

“The board gave consensus to bring back a balanced budget with a 10-cent tax increase,” Burnette said. “That was transacting business – real or apparent,” she said, quoting a portion of the law in question. Minutes are supposed to be voted on or adopted by a majority of the board, she added.

“So, the June 24 (budget) approval could be found null and void by a Superior Court judge,” Burnette said, for what she said was the commissioners’ failure to comply with the law. “An injunction could also be issued so that this will never happen again and you could also be ordered personally to pay attorneys’ fees,” she continued.

“Commissioners, it’s time to do the right thing. I implore you to let the citizens of Vance County pay the taxes they paid in 2023 (and) to direct the tax administrator to take no action on delinquent taxes if the 2023 amount has been paid.”

In her comments to the City Council on Oct. 14, Lemmond said the 20-cent city tax increase, along with the 10-cent county increase, will have dire consequences.

“Y’all are going to cause foreclosures… cause people to lose their homes, cause renters to be forced out,” she said. She was one of a handful of citizens who spoke to voice their concern for the way the budget process was handled.

“When you passed the 65 cents, there was no discussion. So either you talked about it ahead of time and everybody agreed, and it wasn’t in a meeting, or you just didn’t care enough and said ‘oh yeah, we’ll make it 65 cents,’” Lemmond said.

She made similar remarks to commissioners on Sept. 3 on the budget approval and tax rate increase. “It had to have been discussed somewhere, sometime for it to have passed that quickly,” she said.

“I understand the need for more money, we all need more money,” Lemmond said. “But that was a really big tax hike and I don’t’ think the county thought through what it was going to do to a lot of these people…it shouldn’t have been that big of an increase.”

Concerned Citizens for Vance County meets at the local headquarters of the Republican Party, located at 605 S. Garnett St. every third Thursday of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

The group’s email address is concernedforvance@gmail.com and a Facebook page is being worked on as of this date.

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Law Enforcement In Old Granville

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Before the American Revolution, the Colonists had to import most of what it needed – including rules and laws. In the 1770’s, the sheriff didn’t wear a badge identifying who he was. “Everybody knew who the sheriff was,” said Mark Pace, local historian and North Carolina Room specialist at Richard Thornton Library in Oxford.

There were laws issued by Parliament, and there was another category based more on tradition, called common law. By the time the Revolution dust had settled, the newly minted United States of America were figuring out which laws – and punishments – to keep and which needed to be updated.

Early on, the police stuck with their British counterparts and did not carry firearms, Pace said. But a man named Samuel Colt changed all that in 1836 with his patent for a barrel-chambered pistol, Pace said, which took away the need to repack and reload after each shot.

Police began carrying firearms after the Civil War, during which time the holster, conveniently, was used.

There was a push to make the laws more humane, Pace said. The punishments imposed on people found guilty of crimes were harsh. As late as the 1820’s and ’30’s, Pace said there were 28 felonies that were punishable by death. Other punishments included branding, maiming and being burned at the stake – which makes standing in stocks and pillars in the public square seem tame by comparison.

Pace said lawmakers were more interested in deterring crime than being punitive.

“There was inconsistency from county to county,” he said, which resulted in a movement in the state of North Carolina to codify laws to ensure everyone got fair and equitable treatment under the law.

Horse theft was one of those crimes that was treated seriously. Very few people owned their homes or land, and often a horse was the most valuable – and useful – property one could have. Used as transportation and work on the farm, a horse thief was among the lowest of the low.

Pace recalled the Revolutionary War-era story of two fellows who were sent out by Patriots to look for Tory horse thieves. They were unsuccessful, Pace said, because, well, their horses were stolen.

Down, but not out, the men applied for – and received – restitution from the state of North Carolina for their loss, Pace said.

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Domestic Violence Awareness Month

TownTalk: Domestic Violence “Break The Silence” Event Coming Up

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There’s good news this year from Debbie Scott, domestic violence educator with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office: Since Oct. 1 last year, there have been no domestic-related homicides reported in the county.

There have however, been 1,177 calls that came in to local law enforcement agencies that involved either assaults or disputes – 370 physical assaults and 46 sexual assaults.

And so, while Scott celebrates the zero deaths as a result of domestic violence, there is plenty of room for improvement to reduce assaults.

Learn how to become more involved in raising awareness of domestic violence on Saturday, Oct. 26, beginning at 3 p.m. at Clearview Church, 3485 U.S. Hwy. 158, Henderson.

“Domestic violence has no place in our community,” Scott said on Wednesday’s TownTalk, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“It’s unacceptable. That’s why we come together once a year…to wrap our arms around victims, support survivors and offer resources to victims in our community.”

The 6th Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event -“BREAK THE SILENCE- STOP THE VIOLENCE”- Round Table Discussion features keynote speaker is Dep. Mark West of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office. Dinner will be served, courtesy of Clearview Church.

In her role as domestic violence educator, Scott interacts with individuals in the community who may be victims themselves or to groups that offer support to victims and survivors.

“Get involved,” she said. “Continue to get involved – break the stigma…learn the signs and get help,” she said.

To learn more, contact Scott at 252.738.2235 or email her at dscott@vancecounty.org.

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TownTalk: S!stersSpeakLife Plans Breast Cancer Awareness Event

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The van that will be parked at Aycock Rec Center Saturday, Oct. 19 is equipped with potentially life-saving equipment for women across the area.

It’s a mobile diagnostic lab of Invision Diagnostics and Freddie Harris of S!stersSpeakLife said 17 women have already signed up for the mammograms that will be taken inside that van.

Harris, herself a two-time breast cancer survivor, said the mobile lab will provide 3D mammography from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

S!stersSpeakLIfe is a community-focused organization dedicated to supporting breast cancer and raising awareness about breast health.

It’s just one way to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Together We Fight,” she told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

“As a community, we are stronger together,” Harris said.

As of Monday, 17 women had registered, but there’s room for more. “We’re still taking appointments,” she said. “Early detection saves lives.”

More than 310,000 women across the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2024. One in eight women screen positive for breast cancer, she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted the routine, annual mammograms that women should get. “We don’t want any woman to miss the opportunity” to schedule a mammogram.

Register for the event at. Register for the mammogram at 877.318.1349.

There’s no fee to register to attend the event, but Harris said it will help with a count for lunch, which she hopes to be able to provide. Find S!stersSpeakLife on Facebook to learn how to register to attend or call Harris at 252-204-8435

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TownTalk: Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Event Friday and Saturday

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Back for its 22nd year, the Show, Shine, Shag & Dine takes over Garnett Street in downtown Henderson Saturday, Oct. 19 for a daylong celebration of all types of cars – custom, antique, racers and more.

But there’s also a pre-show BBQ and cruise-in that takes place at Satterwhite Point Park on Kerr Lake Friday, Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vance County Tourism Authority staffers Pam Hester and Norman Dickerson said everyone’s invited to kick off the weekend festivities there. The lakeside cruise-in is open to all makes and models, and there will be music and food on hand for all to enjoy.

And if that’s not enough for you, head on over to Charles Bowman’s Southern Classic Cruise In 117 Horner St. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., folks can enjoy more music and more food, and of course more cars.

“Charles has his museum in tip-top shape,” Hester said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “If you’ve never been…you’re missing out.”

Hot rods and restored antique vehicles will be sharing the road – literally – with Corbitt trucks, which were produced in Henderson in the early 20th century.

Dickerson said the Corbitt Preservation group is expecting between 12 and 14 pieces of rolling stock to be on display Saturday.

An antique Ford group is planning to show off their vehicles in the parking lot of the Garnett Street Depot and there most likely will be a dozen or more racing cars for attendees to ooh and aah over.

Vendors will line Garnett Street amid the four-wheeled stars of the show. Organizers expect at least 400 to drive in for the day.

The economic impact is measurable, Hester said. “We had a study done on the traffic of downtown Henderson,” she said. Three hundred sixty-four days of the year, the count was pretty much the same, day in, day out. “Except the day of the car show – it goes up about 10 times higher,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful event,” Hester continued. “The crowd is very diversified…everybody gets along wonderfully…it’s just a community effort.”

Register vehicles between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Enter from W. Winder St. The first 400 entries receive a dash plaque.

The fun continues through 5 p.m. and participants can meander along Garnett Street to see the beautiful cars and enjoy the vendors and food truck offerings.

A few details to keep in mind:

  • No Pets or Exotic Animals
  • No Bicycles
  • No Personal Golf Carts allowed without Permit

Visit https://www.kerrlake-nc.com/car-show.php for details about this weekend’s event.

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Salvation Army

TownTalk: Salvation Army Basketball Tournament Fundraiser

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The Salvation Army is looking for another basketball team to come out and support its inaugural effort to raise money for playground improvements.

Three teams are signed up, but the Salvation Army’s Boys & Girls Club Area Director Hope Allen said she’d like one more to sign up, which would allow for a double-elimination format for the event, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Salvation Army’s gym, 2092 Ross Mill Rd.

“The more teams we have, the better the outcome,” she said.

There’s a $150 entry fee per team, Allen said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The deadline to register is this Friday, Oct. 18.

Many in the community have driven past the facility, or stopped in for a program, church service or summer camp, but Allen said the basketball games “invite people to the Salvation Army in a different way.”

Tickets are $3 for spectators, and there will be plenty of music and concessions to enjoy during the event.

Team members should be 18 years or older, Allen said. And individuals can just give her a call at 252. 438.7107 and she’ll help connect them with a team they can join.

The proceeds will go to make improvements to the playground, which is used by Club kids and others in the community.

Right now, there are close to 70 children who participate in programming at the Salvation Army. “I try my best to lead and support a good team of professionals here to teach and reach every child served,” Allen said.

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TownTalk: 9th Annual Military History Show Coming Up Soon

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Wartime friends –  and foes – will be represented when the 9th annual Military History show commences later this month, but organizer Harry Coombs is confident that there won’t be any skirmishes. All sides are coming together in a show of force to benefit the Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee.

The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Henderson-Oxford Airport, 6514 Airport Rd., Oxford, where it’s been held since Coombs first hatched the idea of showcasing his own collection of military artifacts. But he learned early on that it’s hard to be the organizer AND the exhibitor. In fact, Coombs said on Monday’s TownTalk that he has yet to display any of his collection. Except his 1931 German-style BMW motorcycle.

But that’s ok, because there will be plenty of reenactors representing military personnel dating back to the Revolutionary War.

“Each year, it’s the same – but different,” Coombs said of the various reenactors and which era will be represented. He said in addition to the reproduction uniforms from the Revolutionary War and Civil War periods, authentic uniforms from more recent wars will be represented, including the two World Wars, as well as Vietnam and the Gulf War.

“They are absolutely authentic,” Coombs said. “The firearms, weapons – they’re all the real things,” he said. The reproductions are “museum quality,” he said. “They’re reproductions, but they are on-the-spot reproductions.”

The event is free and open to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Coombs said. In addition to the reenactors, there will be weapons demonstrations and other displays of military equipment and vehicles.

Total Flight Solutions is going to be on site to provide helicopter rides again this year. If prices remain the same as last year, $40 will get you a seat on a chopper for an overhead tour of the area.

There will be a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and a donation bucket to stuff in some extra bills, all of which go to support the work of the local Veterans Affairs Committee, which helps veterans with a wide range of support services.

Each year, the event has bettered the previous year’s profit, and last year, Coombs said, was the best yet – a total of $3,000 was raised.

So whether you’re interested in seeing what the Army calls a “half track,” just how big a Howitzer cannon is or what the Allied Forces uniforms looked like during World War II, the Military History Show is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Vendor spaces are available, Coombs said. Reserve a 10 x 10 space for $25.

Search the Event tab on Facebook to find the 9th Annual Military History Show for more details.

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TownTalk: Remembering Amanda Pearson

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Amanda Pearson, owner of Sadie’s Coffee Corner in Downtown Henderson, has passed away.

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TownTalk: N.C. Court Of Appeals Seat 12 Contest

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The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the upcoming general election on Nov. 5. In-person early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 17 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 2.

Carolyn Thompson

The N.C. Court of Appeals is the second-highest court in the state, and as the name implies, the 15 judges that make up the court sit on three-member panels to review lower court rulings.

Judge Carolyn J. Thompson was appointed to Seat 12 in September 2023 by Gov. Roy Cooper, and she’s on the ballot in the upcoming election to retain that seat.

The State Supreme Court is the highest court in the state, but the majority of cases are determined by the court of appeals and go no further, Thompson explained.

Opinions coming from the appeals court impact the entire state, she said. “It’s a last resort for a lot of cases,” she added. “We are an error-correcting court,” she said.

The judicial races are statewide races and the judges serve 8-year terms.

She said she’s the best candidate for the job because she has extensive legal and judicial experience, and she’s “already there, doing the hard work for all of North Carolina… I uphold the law and the Constitution equally – it doesn’t matter your ZIP code or your background.”

She suffered a narrow defeat in 2022 in her bid for a seat on the court of appeals, and before her most recent reappointment to the appellate court, spent about nine months as deputy commissioner of the N.C. Industrial Commission, which she described as a quasi-judicial role that hears workers’ compensation issues and cases of tort claims from incarcerated people.

Over the past year, Thompson said she’s written 96 opinions for cases she and her fellow judges on the panel have heard.

The panels get about 30 cases per month, and Thompson said she’s required to author at least eight. Her 27 years of experience on both sides of the bench, Thompson said, gives her knowledge of criminal, domestic and civil cases. “You can only do that kind of work when you’ve been experienced in it,” she said.

There’s no room for partisan politics in the decisions made by the appellate court. “We never even know party affiliations…we just see issues that need answers,” she said.

Although state law requires judicial candidates to list their party affiliation, Thompson, a Democrat, said she doesn’t allow political rhetoric to interfere with her work on the appellate court.

“We have to stay independent,” she said. “We are an independent branch of government.”

With her roots working for women and children in domestic court, Thompson said she’s a longtime advocate for survivors of domestic violence.

“I can’t serve in that capacity any more because I’m now a judge ruling in cases…once you become a judge you can’t practice law any more.”

Thompson, a licensed and ordained minister, is the author of “Abigail’s Veil: A Domestic Violence Handbook for Clergy and Church Leaders.

She gives credits to her family for helping her stay focused. She’s a wife, a mom and a grandmother, and those roles are as important to her as her role as judge.

“They keep me centered,” she said. “They keep me focused on why it’s important to fight for justice.”

Visit https://judgecarolynthompson.com/ to learn more about the candidate and visit https://www.nccourts.gov/ to read some of her opinions and find a livestream link to the hearings.

Tom Murry

Tom Murry describes himself as a conservative who believes that the original words of the Constitution mean what they say.

Murry is a candidate for Seat 12 of the N.C. Court of Appeals, a seat currently held by Judge Carolyn Thompson. Thompson was appointed in September 2023 to that seat, and state law requires that she be elected to keep it.

As her challenger, Murry said his experience as an attorney and an assistant district attorney – as well as time spent on the Morrisville Town Council and in the N.C. House – would help him in his role as appellate court judge.

“I understand the three branches of government,” Murry said. “I think I can stay in my lane as a judge.”

When he was a law student at Campbell University, he said he got to see a three-judge panel in action. And, as a prosecutor for the 11th Prosecutorial District, he had a case that was appealed – and affirmed – by the very court that he now seeks to join.

Murry said half of the cases that come to the N.C. Court of Appeals are criminal cases, and he said his time as a prosecutor will help him if he is elected. He has experience working in the courtroom and working with local law enforcement.

State law requires that judicial candidates’ party affiliations be included on ballots, but Murry said there’s no place for partisan politics in the courtroom.

“I’m going to be listed as a Republican on the ballot,” Murry said, but as a judge, he will wear a black robe. Like the camouflage he dons on National Guard Drill Weekends, the robe is neither blue nor red, he said.

“When judges issue rulings based on their political views it undermines the public’s trust in our courts. It’s extremely concerning to me. There are other branches of government that are responsible for policy and making the law. Judges need to be restrained and focused on the issues at hand, not how they want them to be,” Murry said.

“I believe that Lady Justice has a blindfold for a reason,” he said, adding that he will administer the law “without favor, delay or denial…same facts, same law, same outcome – that’s equal protection under the law and that’s what we’re called to do.”

Visit https://www.jointom.com/ to learn more.

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TownTalk: District 1 Candidates For County Commissioner

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The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the upcoming general election on Nov. 5. In-person early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 17 and the lone contested county race is for the District 1 seat on the Vance County Board of Commissioners.

Democratic incumbent Carolyn Faines is seeking re-election and faces opposition from Republican challenger William Heitman. 

Carolyn Faines

Carolyn Faines probably has some stories she could tell from her 20+ years in public education. For the past five years, Faines has taught business at Bunn High School in Franklin County, but education is something that takes up a lot of space in her head and her heart.

But she’s got room as well for Vance County and the people who live here, many of whom – like her – have been here their whole lives.

She has master’s degrees and is currently pursuing credentials to become an administrator, but she’s also been a bus driver, teacher assistant, a data manager, a bookkeeper within public schools.

“Education has always been a big part of my life,” she said. “I believe in education. love teaching – it’s one of my passions.”

Faines is the District 1 incumbent on the Vance County Board of Commissioners, first elected in 2016. She also is the founder of I Believe God Outreach Church in the Williamsboro community.

On the issues:

Property tax revaluation – “I think eight years is entirely too long,” she said. Faines said she initially backed the revenue-neutral budget, but ultimately determined that the county had so many projects that needed to be funded, so she voted for the 10-cent tax increase during the budget process.

“I felt like there were things that needed to get done,” she added.

Jail – “The jail is in a bad shape,” Faines said. It is run down, she continued, and said that something needs to be done to improve conditions.

“Regardless of the reason they’re there, they’re still people,” Faines said.

Fire study – “We are still in a lot of discussion,” Faines said, noting an upcoming joint meeting later this month with the public safety committee and the fire safety committee.

“We make sure that our people are safe, as we look at redistricting, (as we) look at our volunteer fire departments (and) Golden Belt.”

She said she’d love to see all fire departments have 24/7 coverage. “To me, that would be wonderful,” she said. “Taking care of our citizens is first.”

Faines said she loves her role as a county commissioner and she said she keeps people top of mind with every vote and every decision she makes.

“The policies that I vote on are what I believe will help the people of Vance County,” she said.

“My heart is in it – that the people get what’s best. I love it because this is where I was born and raised…and I’m glad to be a part of the Vance County team.”

William Heitman

William Heitman has lived in Vance County for just over a decade, having moved from Durham and putting down roots on four acres of land in the northern part of the county.

“There are good people here…I have good neighbors,” Heitman said during an interview with WIZS News, recorded for broadcast on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

“After I retired, I decided I wanted to try to give something back,” he said. So he threw his hat into the ring to represent District 1 on the county board of commissioners.

He’s a newcomer to politics, and describes himself as a conservative. He feels the management skills he honed during his years as a pilot, flying 747 jets all over the globe, will be useful if he’s elected. He retired with the rank of captain.

“As a captain on a 747, you have a crew – sometimes a double crew -,” Heitman said. “You have to manage people” and keep them focused on the task at hand.

He said he knows how to take, and accept, responsibility to have good outcomes.

On the issues:

Property tax revaluation – Heitman said he’s in favor of changing the revaluation from every 8 years to every 4 years. “I’m sure it worked well for many years,” he said. He is not in favor of bringing evaluators from more urban areas like Raleigh and Cary to a rural area with no local oversight.

“There weren’t local people taking care of local people,” he said, adding that he would not have voted for the property tax rate that commissioners approved.

“I would have voted against it, absolutely,” he said.

Fire study – Heitman said he’ll need to do a little more research into the status of the fire study. “I have caught wind of this fire issue that the commissioners wanted to take a county funded fire department and put it back to a volunteer fire department…there are, I’m sure, other parameters to take into consideration.”

Since he’s retired, Heitman said he’ll have the time needed to get out into the community, talk to people and get the facts.

Jail – The current situation with the jail is another matter for further research, and Heitman said he’s interested in taking a look at the current facility, and talk to law enforcement officials like the sheriff and police chief to find out what the needs are.

If he’s elected, Heitman said he’s going to be looking into where taxpayers’ money is being spent. “This is where I have to get in there and start digging,” he said.

He also is keen to work on the county-wide problem of littering, citing roadside trash from fast-food restaurants that folks toss from their cars.

He said he wants residents to take more pride in their county. Tourists and lake visitors would take away a better impression of their time in the county. But first, he said, it’s important to “change people’s attitudes towards where they live.”

“I have ideas and ideals,” Heitman said, “that I want to make Vance County better, a destination for people to come and visit, and leave feeling good about it.”

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